Rail-joint.



RAIL JOINT. APPLICATION FILED mm: 10, 1912.

Patent y 8 g A warm M Q a Gttoam CLARK D. WRIGHT, OF HUTSONVILLE, ILLINOIS.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July S, 11913.

Application filed June 10, 1912. Serial No. 702,825.

1 0 all whom/1ft may concern Be it known that I, CLARK I). \Vmeirr, citizen oil the United States, residing at l-iutsonville, in the county of Crawford and State of Illinois have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the 'tiollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to imj'n'ovements in railway rail joints, and has for one of its objects to provide a simply constructed device of improved construction and increased utility and elliciency.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed device which will ell'ectually hold the rail ends in position without the employment of clamping bolts or nuts and like devices.

Another object of the invention to provida a simply constructed device which will etl'ectually hold the joint without: the necessity for employing clamping bolts and like devices and which may be tightened in event of its working loose without detaching any of the parts.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed device wherein the joint locked in position against the tendency to work loose under the severe jars and concussions to which devices oil? this character are subjected.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel Features of construction as hereafter shown and described. and then specifically pointed out in the Clitill'lS, and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention: Figure 1 an end view of the improved joint with one of the rails in transverse section; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a plan view with the rail in longitudinal section on the line 3 of .Iiig. 1; Fig. t is a perspective view of the locking key member.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The improved device comprises a base member 10 which is in plate term and supported upon one or more ties and extending between a pair of rail ends represented conventionally at 1'l12. Rising from the plate at" one side is an integral clamp plate 13 which bears against: the vertical web and over the tie flange of the rail ends at one side and likewise provided with an ontturned upper portion bearing beneath the head portions ol the rails at one side. The portion 1? is ol suliicient strength. to withstand the severe strains to which rail joints are subjected when in use and may be provided with brace webs 'll to increase its strength and stillness. Rising from the base it) at the opposite side is another plate which conlorms generally in outline to the configuration oi the rail and includes a substantially vertical portion to and an outwardly and downwardly inclined portion 16, the inner faces of the portions LS-16 conforming to the vertical web ot the tie flange of the rail and spaced from the same and likewise spaced a greater distance 'trom the rail at; one end than at the other, or with the inner taces inclined to a longitudinal plane of the rail. iy this means a tapered recess or cavity is termed between the members l5 l6. and the rails.

Fitting within the recess or space between the members l5-l('i and the rail is a key block member comprising a substantially vertical web 1? and. a substantially horizontal web 18, the two parts 17-'1S conforming at their inner faces to and bearing against the vertical web oi? the tie llange oi? the rail and contorming to and bearing at their outer l aces against the inclined inner laccs oi? the member Iiill The member 1T-l8 is thus relatively thin at one end and thick at the other end as represented in Fig. 1. The web portion 18 is provided with a keyway represented at 19 to receive a wedge key 20 which is thus utilized to exert a drawing l'orcc upon the member l718 and tightly draw the same against the rail and the member l5*1( The aper' ture L9 is so 'lormcd in the locking member or key 17 that when the latter is positioned at the junction of the rails, the inner wall of the aperture 11$) will be disposed in vertical alinemcnt with the adjacent longitudinal edge of the base oi the rail, so that by driving the locking key 20 home within said aperture one edge ot the locking key will bear against the adjacent end of the brace 16 and one face therco't against the edge of the base oi the rail. 13y such a construction, the locking key 20 'lorms a dual. function, namely, to cause the locking member to tirmly seat, and by engagement with the base of the rail to assist in preventing accidental lateral movement thereof. By this simple means the parts are firmly through the wedge key 20, to prevent any accidental displacement of the same.

It will thus be obvious that a simply constructed oint is produced which may be inexpensively manufactured and comprises two parts only besides the wedge key. The member l116 may be provided with bracing webs 22 if required.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. The combination with mating rail sections, of a base extending beneath the rail sections at the junctions thereof and having one side thereof formed with an integral brace and the other side thereof formed with an upstanding web, the inner face of which is disposed at an angle to the rail sections, a wedge-shaped locking member of greater length than the web fitting between the inclined face of said web and the rails and bearing against the latter, there being an aperture formed in the small end of the locking member, and a wedge-shaped key seated in said aperture and having one edge thereof bearing against the adjacent end of the web and one side of the key bearing against the adjacent longitudinal edge of the rail base.

2. The combination with mating rail sec tions, of a base extending beneath the rail sections at the junction thereof and having one side thereof formed with an integral brace and the other side thereof formed with an upstanding web the inner face of which is spaced from and disposed at an angle to the rail sections, said web and brace being provided with spaced downwardly inclined reinforcing ribs, a wedge-shaped looking member fitting between the inclined face of the web and said rails and of greater length than the web, there being an aperture and one side of said key being disposed in contact with the adjacent longitudinal edge of the base of the rail, and a locking pin seated in the opening in the key and bearing against the base.

3. The combination with mating rail sectic-ns having the webs thereof formed with openings, of a base extending beneath the rails at the junction thereof and having one side thereof formed with an integral brace the inner face of which is provided with spaced studs extending within the openings of the webs of the rails, the other side of the base being formed with an upstanding web the inner face of which is spaced from and disposed at an angle to the webs of the rail sections, the exterior faces of the brace and web being provided with spaced clownwardly inclined reinforcing ribs, a wedgeshaped locking member interposed between and bearing against the inclined face of the web and said rails respectively, said locking member being of greater length than the web and having its reduced end formed with a vertically disposed aperture opening through the bottom thereof, a wedge-shaped key seated in said aperture and having one edge thereof bearing against the adjacent end of the web and one side thereof bearing against the adjacent longitudinal edge of the base of the rail, and a fastening device extending transversely through the small H end of the key and engaging the lower end of the base.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLARK D. l/VRIGHT. [1,. s] Witnesses:

ALBERT A. Coon, WVM. J. HQRNING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

